Thought Leadership

Movie: Eye in the Sky

Although it is not a subject that I address here very often, my wife and I go to see quite a few movies. As we are members of our local theatre, where we go to see a lot of drama and music etc, we get a pair of tickets to each movie. So, the decision to attend is not painful. Certain actors, and Helen Mirren is a good example, make attending a particular movie attractive. So, when Eye in the Sky was listed, I reserved seats.

The movie was more thought provoking than I expected …

It was actually one of the best movies I have seen in a long while. It kept my attention from beginning to end and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. There was a great balance between the core story, the military angle, the politics, the technology and the human perspective.

The story is broadly about the use of a drone and other surveillance technology to monitor and strike a terrorist group. This does not sound very enthralling, but the pace of delivery kept the excitement going and, hence, my reaction noted above. I enjoyed watching the movie and would cheerfully see it again – maybe I will have to wait for it to appear on download or something – as I am sure there are more details to appreciate. I was, however, left with a nagging thought:

I was blown away by the technology – all the stuff they could do with the drone etc. However, I am fully aware that we could not be shown anything that was classified. So, my first thought was: what can they really do? How much more amazing is the secret technology that they actually employ?

After some consideration, I realized that another interpretation is possible. Maybe the technology portrayed in the movie is actually beyond what can be achieved now. And it was included, not only to entertain the likes of me, but to intimidate those likely to be on the receiving end.

So, which is it? Can anyone give me a clue [without releasing classified information to me!]? If so, please comment, email or use social media to contact me

Colin Walls

I have over thirty years experience in the electronics industry, largely dedicated to embedded software. A frequent presenter at conferences and seminars and author of numerous technical articles and two books on embedded software, I am a member of the marketing team of the Mentor Graphics Embedded Systems Division, and am based in the UK. Away from work, I have a wide range of interests including photography and trying to point my two daughters in the right direction in life. Learn more about Colin, including his go-to karaoke song and the best parts of being British: http://go.mentor.com/3_acv

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.stage.sw.siemens.com/embedded-software/2016/05/12/movie-eye-in-the-sky/